Can-opener.



E. LUTZ.

CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- 11. me.-

I 1,21 9,971 Patepted Mar. 20, 1917.

M ill 11 0mm LUTZ,

J4. S. )A'M E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN LUTZ, OF MUNITH, MICHIGAN.

CAN-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented B131, 20, 1917.

Application filed August 11, 1916. Serial No. 114 348.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, EDWIN LUTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Munith,

able others skilled in the art to which it 7 appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in can openers, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby the'top of a can or like container can be easily and quickly removed by a clean cut extending around the sides of the can, thereby avoiding ragged edges and admitting of the contents of the can being removed without difliculty.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a can opener'which is simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can be readily applied to a can, which can be manipulated very easily and without danger of cutting or injuring the hands of the operator, and which will make a clean annular cut around the sides of the can' so that the top thereof can be swung upwardly and rearwardly, being merely connected to the body of the can by the longitudinal side seam which is easily bent.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which I Figure 1 is a top plan view of a can opener constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the can opener, showing it as appliedto a can in position for removing the top therefrom in solid line, the position of the can opener'when raising the can top from the can being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the jaw of the can opener and the upper portion of a can.

Fig. 4: is a detail perspective view showing a slight modification of theinvention,

portions being broken away.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The can opener can be conveniently formed, as shown by the drawing, by suitably bending a strip of flat metal, said metal preferably having a slight amount of re siliency. The strip is doubled upon itself at an intermediate point to provide a looped handle 1, each arm of the looped handle being provided at its free end with a curved and substantiallysemi-circular jaw 2, and the free end of each jaw terminating in an outwardly projecting lateral ear 3. The jaws 2 have an opposed relation and are of a complemental nature so as to fit around the body of a tin can The laterally'projecting ears 3 also have an opposed relation and are connected by a clamping screw 4.

The curved jaws 2 are provided at substantially the middle portions thereof with longitudinally extending slits within which cutting wheels 5 are arranged, said wheels having sharp peripheral cutting edges, and being mounted upon spindles 6 which may be held in position in any suitable manner. In the present instance longitudinally extending cuts or slits 7 are formed in the jaws 2 both above and below the wheel re- 7 ceiving openings or slots 2 the portions of the metal on opposite sides of the slits 7 1being'crimped or bulged laterally in op 'posite directions, as'indicated at 7, to receive the spindles 6.

After the opener has been properly applied to' a can, with the cutting wheels .5 engaging the sides of the can at a point toward the top thereof, the clamping screw t is tightened to bring the cutting wheels into a spring engagement with the can. The jaws 2 are then rotated back and forth upon the can means of the handle 1, thereby causing the sharp edges of the cutting wheels 5 to form an annular cut in the sides of the can, extending entirely around the same and being only interrupted by the longitudinal seam S at the side of the cam.

If necessary, the clamping screw 4 can be tightened by degrees as the can opener is in the necessary manner. After the tin has been severed, the tool may be used as a means for forcibly swinging the severed top T of the can upwardly, as indicated by Fig. 2. A clean cut is produced without any ragged edges, and the contents .of the can can be easily removed without any difficulty.

A slight modification is shown by Fig. i, n which the jaws 2 are stiff and resilient o as to be readily flexed around various ir ies of cans, and the free ends of the looped iandle are adjustably connected by a suitlbl latch member 8, thereby enabling the jaws to be set at various distances apart and admitting of the device being adjusted. for various sizes of cans. This latch memher 8 may be in the form of a resilient strr having a series of notches 9 in one edge hereof, and having hook members 10 at its extremities. Any selected pair of the notches 9 can be placed in engagement with the ends of the handle 1, thereby setting the said ends of the handle at a fixed dis-' tance apart, d pending upon the size of the can. The hook members 10 are then sprung around the edges of the jaws 2 to lock the latch member in position. In other respects the operation of the can opener is exactly as previously described.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A can opener including a handle, a pair of opposed curved jaws carried by the handle and adapted to fit laterally around the sides of a can body, cutting wheels carried by the jaws and projecting inwardly therefrom, and means for forcibly drawing the jaws toward each other to bring the cutting wheels into operative engagement with the can.

2. A can opener including a looped handle, a pair of opposed curved jaws car ried by the respective arms of the looped handle and adapted to fit around the body of a can, cutting wheels carried by the jaws and projecting inwardly therefrom, and means at the free ends of the jaws for forcibly drawing the jaws toward each other to bring the cutting wheels into operative engagement with the can.

3. A can opener including a handle, a pair of opposed curved jaws carried by the handle and adapted to fit around the body of a can, said jaws having openings therein and being provided with longitudinal slits on opposite sides of the opening, the portions of the material adjacent the longitudinal slits being crimped laterally in opposite directions, spindles extending across the openings and received within the said crimped portions of the material, cutting wheels journaled upon the spindles and arranged within the openings so as to project inwardly from the jaws, and means for forcibly drawing the jaws toward each other to bring the cutting wheels into operative engagement with the can.

a. A can opener including a looped handle, a pair of opposed curved jaws carried by the respective arms of the looped handle and adapted to fit around the sides of a can body, an adjustable connection be tween the arms of the looped handle for setting them at different distances apart, cutting wheels carried by the curved aws and projecting inwardly therefrom, and means at the free ends of the jaws for forcibly drawing the jaws toward each other to bring the cutting wheels into operative engagement with the can.

5. A can opener including a looped handle, a pair of opposed curved jaws carried by the respective arms of the looped handle and adapted to fit around the body of a can, a latch strip extending across the looped handle and having a series of notches any selected pair of which is adapted to be placed in engagement with the arms of the looped handle to set them at a proper distance apart for the size of can to be operated upon, the ends of the latch strip having hook members adapted to be sprung into engagement with the jaws to hold the strip in position, cutting wheels carried by the jaws and projecting inwardly therefrom, and means at the free ends of the jaws for forcibly drawing the jaws toward each other to bring the cutting wheels into operative engagement with the can.

6. A can opener including a loopec handle, a pair of opposed our ed jaws carried by the respective armsof the looped handle and adapted to fit around the body of a can, a latch strip extending across the looped handle and provided with a series of notches any selected pair of which is adapted to be placed in engagement with the arms of the looped handle to set them at a proper distance apart for the size of can to be operated upon, means for locking the latch strip in position, cutting wheels carried by the jaws and projecting inwardly therefrom, and means at the free ends of the aws for forcibly drawing the jaws toward each other to bring the cutting wheels into operative engagement with the can.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN LUTZ. Witnesses:

GnNnvrnvn L. LUTZ,

Annrn L. LU'rz.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

